| Abstract: | This paper critically examines two sorts of theories of teaching and learning in higher education ‐ the informal and the formal. It argues that defining the problem of how to improve the quality of higher education in terms of “theory into practice” is not useful; practice is continually informed by theory. However, there is a tendency to ignore the contribution of formal educational theory, which is experimental and forward‐looking, in favour of an essentially amateur approach to improving teaching, which is driven by institutional imperatives, rewards compliance rather than risk‐taking, and trivialises the teacher's experiences. Examples of this process are given; they include the Higher Education Council's draft advice on quality and the use of student ratings of teaching. The problem is redefined as one of bringing formal and informal theories into a fruitful relationship in order to develop, through democratic means, the practice of integrity in teaching. Some implications for the role of the educational development professional are considered. |
